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About
213308Rfn. Joseph Thornley
British Army 13th Btn. Rifle Brigade
from:Blackburn, Lancs
(d.11th April 1917)
Joseph Thornley was my husband's grandfather. Born in 1876, he married rather late, being 33 when he married Martha Ready in 1909. By the time of the outbreak of war there were two children, William born in 1910 and Arthur in 1913. Joseph's occupation was cotton weaver. We know almost nothing about Joseph's wartime experiences, other than that he enlisted in 1914 and was killed at Arras on 11th April 1917, and that his name appears on the Arras memorial. Any information about what military actions were happening on that day would be appreciated.
Additional Information:
My great uncle was mortally wounded at the same time in the Assault at Monchy le Preux. Lt. Chamberlen, the chaplain wrote a detailed account of the battle and published it in 1931. You can track the last 11 days by comparing this account and the War Diaries entry. It is worth a visit - 100 years anniversary in April 2017,Mike Ansell
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